NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — The officers who rushed into The Covenant School are now receiving the Medal of Valor — the highest honor a public safety officer can receive.
Sgt. Jeffrey Mathes, Officer Rex Engelbert, and Detectives Michael Collazo, Ryan Cagle, and Zachary Plese will receive the award given by President Joe Biden.
Those Metro Nashville Police Department officers were the first on the scene of the active shooting, where they wound up killing the shooter. That day, six people died, including three 9-year-olds and three Covenant staffers in March 2023.
President Biden will present the medals on Friday afternoon.
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This is a story I immediately went home and showed my boys - young athletes with big dreams. The Vanderbilt football team's success has stolen the spotlight - what I love about Steve Layman's story is he reveals the individual hardships it took to get there. As Clark Lea says, "we all have scuff marks." This team proves perseverance pays off!
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